How can we Prevent Spinal Cord Injury

Recent articles on accidents highlight that nearly 410 Indians die each day due to fatal injuries. They are majorly due to road accidents followed by falls or attacks. In all these aspects the most fatal injury is to the spinal cord and the brain. They are the power centres of the body and are responsible for relaying the information to all parts of the body for stimuli and movement. Injury or issue with the same can result in death or disability. Hence it is advised that each one of us adheres to certain preventive measures to limit the damage.

Common Reasons for Spinal Cord Injury

• Motor vehicle accidents: Motocycle and Auto accidents are major reason for spinal cord injuries which account for over 35% new spinal cord damage every year.
• Falls: Most of the spinal cord injuries that occur after the age of 65 years are due to falls.
• Violent act: Almost 15% spinal cord injuries are a result of violent acts, often including knife wounds and gunshots.
• Recreation and sports injuries: Athletic activities like diving in shallow water and impact sports lead to around 9% of spinal cord injuries.
• Alcohol: Every 4^th spinal cord injury happens because of alcohol.
• Diseases: Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Cancer and inflammation of spinal cord also leads to spinal cord injuries

Prevention of Spinal Cord Injuries:

Following advice can lower the risk of spinal cord injuries:

• Safe driving: One of the most common reasons for spinal cord injuries are car crashes. We should wear seat belts every time we drive or while riding a car. We should ensure that our children have the habit of wearing seat belts. For their protection from air bag injuries, our children below the age of 12 years must ride in back seats.
• Diving depth: To ensure that we do not dive into shallow water, we must not dive into pools until they are at least 9 feet deep or 3 meters deep. We should not plunge into above-ground pools and not dive into water whose depth we do not know.
• Prevent falls: We should be using step tools with grab bars for reaching objects in higher places. Add handrails along with stairways. We should be using non-slip mats on floors with tiles and also in shower or tubs. We should use safety gates for blocking stairs and install window guards for the safety of children.
• Take precautionary steps while playing a sports: We should always wear recommended safety gears. We should tackle using the top of our helmet while playing rugby or other similar sports.
• No drinking and driving: We should not drive after being intoxicated or while on any influence of drugs. We shall not ride with a driver who drinks a lot.

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